Image: Jeff Crow.

MX1

Adam Monea (NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki) 3rd overall:
I’m happy with the result. Obviously I would’ve liked to have taken the overall but it’s good to be on the podium. I just want to give it my all at Coolum. We haven’t really got anything to lose there so I’m going to throw it all out there and try to finish on the top of the podium. Finish the series with a bang!

Jake Moss (NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki) 7th overall:
The track was pretty good but unfortunately it just wasn’t my day. I just couldn’t put my best foot forward. I really felt drained in that second moto and just couldn’t put it together. I had no energy and I was dehydrated so I was really just riding around for 30 minutes. I’m looking forward to Coolum though. I’m excited that all my friends and family will be there and I really just want to finish the series on a positive note.

Matt Moss (Team Motul Suzuki) – 4th overall:
It feels good to get through the weekend, keep the red plate and enter the final round with the lead. The first moto was good, I got the holeshot but didn’t ride as well as I wanted to and I just maintained what I needed to do. And then in moto two I got a terrible start outside the top 10 and had to make some passes to get back up there. I got a stomach cramp and backed it off, so I only lost three points in the championship, but as long as everything goes to plan at Coolum we should be right in there for the title.

Kirk Gibbs (KTM Motocross Racing Team) – 1st overall:
I’m pretty happy with today. The track was really technical and the ruts got really deep. I got two great starts but got a little bit of arm pump in the first and faded back a little, which I’m disappointed about. In the last race I got a great start again, and was holding second pretty well, but had a little tip-over, so that was disappointing to slip back to third, but I charged back through and nearly made it past for second on the last lap. I’m really happy with the way I’m riding, and hopefully I can carry that momentum into next weekend.

Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) – 14th overall:
I was feeling pretty good in moto one, just a little bit tight. Then I started sort of moving through and I got a really bad burning sensation in my stomach and had a crook tummy for the rest of the moto. I came out for moto two and got a not too bad start, then once I got round the third corner my bike started cutting out and missing. I pulled in and spoke to my mechanic and I decided to just try and circulate and get some points, but then I found my bike getting better towards the end. It’s just one of those things – that’s motorsport. We did what we could and just salvaged some points. Now I’m just really looking forward to next weekend. The surface at Coolum is a lot like what I ride on at home. The last round of the year is always good to finish on a really good note and I really want to get myself back up the front. That’s where I believe I should be. I just want to get some good starts and finish the year off strong.

Sam Martin (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) – 8th overall:
First moto I had another pretty bad start but managed to get back to seventh so I was happy with that. In the second race I made some changes but after going so bad in qualifying I had a bad gate pick with a really deep rut. It made it harder to get out, and I missed the jump. The first half of the second moto I felt really good, but I got a flat tyre and I guess you just can’t really help that. With the changes we made after Raymond Terrace, the bike was really good. I just lacked in qualifying, which meant I had a bad gate pick all day. Coolum is a sick track and I always feel good there so I’m keen for that.

Brock Winston (Husqvarna) – 10th overall:
I wouldn’t say it was an awesome day. I had a fair few dramas and I salvaged a reasonable result I suppose, but I think I could have done a lot better. I had two crashes in the first race, and in the second race I tangled with another rider so my bike got stuck in his for a while and I had to come from last. The track was sweet here, but real physical.

Brad Groombridge (Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team) – 12th overall:
I sort of expected little bit more from myself, but obviously having not ridden the bike we just had to make a few changes with setup and things like that as we went. I think getting a bit more riding in this week will be good, we can spend a bit more time on the set up and hopefully get some top-tens next week. The bike is really good, and I’m enjoying it.

Joel Milesevic (Full Force Racing TM) – 13th overall:
My weekend started off good qualifying in eighth place. Things then continued to go well in the first race. I was inside the top 10 when I made a mistake and crashed. I was able to remount and push back through the field only to go down again while battling for a top 10 position. In the second moto I was inside the top 10 when I jumped in to a soft spot of a ski jump, catching my leg on the ground and tearing my knee brace in half! I was able to finish the race, but have with a very sore knee. Overall it was a bit of a disappointing round in the end for myself.

Image: Jeff Crow.

MX2

Hamish Harwood (CMR Red Bull KTM) – 8th overall:
Definitely not so flash for us but we’ll focus on next weekend and see what you can do. I had problems with my left wrist, but then had quite a big crash in the first race, and hurt my right shoulder quite a bit and finished that race in seventh. After that, I got a good start in the second race but really couldn’t hold the bike and faded back, which I don’t usually do. Quite frustrating.

Dylan Long (BBF Motorsports KTM) – 9th overall:
Good weekend at the MX Nationals for my first round back with a ninth overall. Got a penalty in the first race for running off the track, which put me back to 11th instead of ninth, which would have improved my overall result, but happy with my riding and can’t wait to do better next weekend at Coolum!

Luke Arbon (SD3 Husqvarna) – 1st overall:
I’m definitely pumped to get my third round win. Today I sort of struggled in practice, but qualifying eighth gave me a decent enough gate pick. Two holeshots helped a lot but in the first moto I kind of hit a wall after 10 minutes and my arms pumped up really badly. I just didn’t want to drop it and go backwards when I couldn’t feel the handlebars so I faded to third. Then in the last moto I felt great and led from start to finish. I’ve got good people around me, so a massive thanks to everyone involved.

Geran Stapleton (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) – 24th overall:
It took me a while to get going in that first race, but I ended up feeling really good in the end. I made some passes and got back to 13th from dead last. In the second race I got a much better start, but I landed in a bog hole and went down on my bad shoulder. After that I just couldn’t keep going and had to pull in. I’m going to try and sort my shoulder out this week – it’s giving me a lot of trouble and I can’t ride like I usually do at the moment which is really frustrating. I’m not too sure if I’ll be able to ride Coolum, but if I do I really like the track there. It’s pretty similar to some of the tracks I ride at home, so fingers crossed I can get this shoulder sorted.

Luke Wilson (Wilson MX Honda) – 12th overall:
I’m stoked, it’s my best result yet so I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been riding a lot with Jacob Wright and it’s made a huge difference. He smokes me off the start line in training but he pushes me a lot and it’s paying off. I had actually rode Gladstone once before, but in saying that the track this weekend was completely different to anything we have raced before. I’ve got a big week of riding coming up and I’m really looking forward to getting to Coolum now. I’ve rode Coolum a lot, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there and putting three good races together. Hopefully I can carry the same momentum into the next round, because I feel like I’m getting better ever weekend.

Joel Evans (Full Force Racing TM) – 10th overall:
My weekend at Gladstone was a good one. The day started off with my best qualifying result of the year with 11th. So that was a good feeling coming into moto one. My start wasn’t great but a lot better than they have been, I rounded the first corner in around 15th. I made a few good passes to secure my first top ten finish with a 10th. I was happy to finally crack the top 10 but I wanted to be up battling with those top guys. In moto two I had an awesome start but made a few mistakes in the first couple of corners. I was battling with a few of the top guys and loving it for the first five laps or so until I made a stupid mistake trying to hold my position and crashed dropping me back to 14th. I got back up and charged to 11th and was happy to secure my first top 10 overall MX Nationals result.

Zaccari Luzzi (Andrews Motorcycle Products TM) – 17th overall:
I had great starts all weekend, but not ever doing a 30-minute moto in any motocross race at all before this weekend was going to be tough! It was a real eye-opener to what a professional motocross rider is. I was happy to finish the round coming home in the top 20 overall in 17th and third in the North Cup.

Image: Jeff Crow.

MXD

Egan Mastin (Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team) – 2nd overall:
It was definitely hard today, it was a pretty rutty track, and you needed to get a good start. It was gnarly, so bike setup was important. I’m feeling confident with the championship, I just need to play it smart and safe and it should be all sweet.

Jack Simpson (Tunetech Racing KTM) – 4th overall:
Four laps into practice I severely rolled my ankle and I thought it was broken. I went and saw RACESAFE to see if there was any bone damage, but there wasn’t so I got it all strapped up by the physios, got the boot on, and gripped it and ripped it! The first race I dabbed it a few times which really hurt, so I had a bit of a think and just rolled around. Two fifths and it was a battle for me today, but I’ll ice it up and start getting it ready for Coolum.

Dylan Wilson (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) – 6th overall:
That first race was awesome. I got a fourth and I was really happy with that, especially considering I haven’t rode in about five weeks. In that first moto I was a little bit shocked and then I wasn’t too – I know I can run at that speed. When I get the start, I know I can run with the top guys. In the second race my bar clamp seized up and we had to change the triple clamps on the line. I didn’t get a sight lap and didn’t know what the track was like, not that that’s an excuse. They said I had good lap times, and I’m not really in the championship so I’m just taking the positives out of the weekend. Now I’m just really looking forward to Coolum; it’s always an awesome atmosphere, whether you’re racing or watching. I’ve raced the Junior Aussie Titles there, and I only live a couple of hours away so I ride there a bit. I’m really looking forward to it!

Team and privateer competitors can submit comments to [email protected] prior to the Wednesday after events for inclusion in the post-event Quotebook feature.